Forget kings and sheikhs, or even corporate warriors. Only mugs own racehorses. Gerry Ryan, founder of the nation’s biggest caravan business and co-owner of hot Melbourne Cup favourite Americain, agrees – up to a point.

“I reckon I had about 100 horses before we struck Americain," says the affable Ryan, who runs Jayco. “He’s far and away the most successful horse I’ve ever owned."

Considering the annual cost of keeping a racehorse in work is about $30,000 (excluding large vet bills), looking after 100 horses is a frightening thought. Then again, the magnificent dark bay stallion only cost $US225,000 when Ryan and co-owner Kevin Bamford (who runs Labelmakers) bought him in the United States in February last year. By November, Americain had bagged them the Melbourne Cup, and has won $4.8 million. That’s a lot of caravans and sticky labels.

“I’d do it all again," says Ryan. “Kevin and I met about eight years ago at Melbourne’s Carbine Club. We had a very similar vision of racing horses. My best advice is leave it all to the trainer and the jockey; that’s what you’re paying them for."

Ryan and Bamford raced two horses together before Americain came their way. One of the horses died in a paddock accident and one is now in foal. Ryan is a highly successful breeder, and has 18 broodmares.

Transurban
chairman and company director
Lindsay Maxsted
is another passionate owner who’ll be out in force this spring. His four-year-old mare Pontiana is scheduled to run on Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday. “I’ve always loved the animal; the thoroughbred," Maxsted says.

Other owners aren’t necessarily experts, as poker machine magnate
Bruce Mathieson
admits. “I don’t really know much about them; I just go into it for a bit of fun."

Mathieson believes owning a racehorse is an excellent conversation icebreaker and a good excuse to socialise. Although the socialising leads to having a few beers, which for him has led to buying more horses at times. “You get a couple of grogs into you and you’re having a good time and you make a few silly decisions," Mathieson says.

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Most of his investments – including Adamantium in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Saturday – are with fellow BRW Rich Lister and PFD Food Services owner Richard Smith. The latter has a marquee at Flemington, while Mathieson – like Lloyd Williams, who could have six runners in the Melbourne Cup – chooses to watch at home.

It will be the same for young mining billionaire
Nathan Tinkler
. His horse, Isopach, runs in the Victoria Derby today, while he’s hoping that Galizani will qualify for the Melbourne Cup. You can bet a few mining dollars would flow to bookies’ pockets if it makes the final field of 24.

Tinkler’s Patinack Farm is a big sponsor of the carnival but Tinkler tells the Weekend Financial Review his biggest highlight as an owner so far is “having our own homebred horses, by our own stallions out of our broodmares for the first time this spring".

Riding high on their success last year, the Ryan-Bamford duo also has their latest star, Jukebox Jury, in the final field for the Melbourne Cup. On Tuesday, Ryan will be watching the race from a private box, while Bamford will be in the committee room. At least Ryan and Bamford have the afterparty sorted. Last year the pair shunned the popular racing crowd watering hole – Crown Casino – heading instead to the Middle Park Hotel, where Ryan’s son is a part-owner.

Meanwhile at Macquarie Group, Sydney-based executive director Laurie Macri has the filly Atlantic Jewel – which he owns with Coolmore Stud – running in the Wakeful Stakes at today’s Derby day. Three hours later, Goon Serpent, owned by his colleague Melbourne executive director Robert Rorrison, goes up against John Singleton’s pin-up mare More Joyous in the 1600-metre Myer Classic, which pays $300,000 for first place.

“I said something about the name the other day, and Rob told me that’s what happens when you let your son name your horse," Macri says.

Victoria Racing Club chairman Michael Burn – yet another executive director at the silver doughnut – is so keen to have a runner in the carnival he’s trying to muscle in and grab a share in Atlantic Jewel.

“He called me up the other day and said he was fully prepared to accept my kind offer of a share in Atlantic Jewel at cost price," Macri says. “He’s a funny man is Michael."

Also on Macri’s case is fellow board member on the newly formed Australian Turf Club, Max Whitby, who runs Propex Derivatives. His filly, Dowager Queen, is second favourite to Atlantic Jewel in the Wakeful.

“Max calls me every day and tells me it’s raining in Melbourne just to rile me," Macri says. “His filly prefers the wet. But when I check with my office in Melbourne, they say it’s blazing sunshine."

Today’s Coolmore Stud Stakes also boasts some heavy financial artillery in terms of ownership. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s champion colt Sepoy is firm favourite, and the sheikh is tipped to be on course on Derby and Cup days – no doubt enjoying his own hospitality at the Emirates marquee.

The best-heeled former GP in Australia, Ed Bateman of
Primary Health Care
, might not yet be on the Forbes Rich List, like the sheikh but with $441 million to his name (according to this year’s BRW Rich List) he’s not far behind. Bateman’s two horses, Foxwedge and Satin Shoes, go up against Sepoy in the Coolmore.

Galileo Group’s Neil Werrett is half-owner of Black Caviar and has always been a popular man to go to the races with. Perhaps never more so than now. Werrett will be in Melbourne to watch his gelding Foreteller in the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes on Derby day.

Bruce Mathieson and Harvey Norman executive director David Ackery also have a share in Foreteller.

On Cup day, Snitzerland – owned by Werrett and Lend Lease managing director Steve McCann – is up in the first race, a 1000-metre sprint for fillies. Combat Kitty runs in the third race and is owned by Werrett and former UBS equities executive John Carter.

On Emirates Stakes day on Saturday November 5, all eyes will be on Black Caviar in the Patinack Farm Classic. Her eight owners are well ahead in their investment, rare when it comes to the gee gees.

“No one is ahead," says Maxsted, who notes that the success stories, and even character-building hard-luck tales, make the pain worth it.

He cites his 1999 Golden Slipper runner Align as an example. It drew barrier 15 and ran the race of its life. Align ran bravely three-wide the whole race and only just got caught in the last two or three strides to run a gallant second. It backed up 10 days later to win a Group One race by almost five lengths. “A horse like Align pays for a lot of sins," says Maxsted.

Spin doctor Adam Kilgour, of Diplomacy, will be cheering on Facile Tigre in a 1200-metre sprint on Cup day. The gelding is owned by his racing mates Tim Hughes (formerly of Photon Group) and Sportingbet’s Michael Sullivan.

“Given Sportingbet has just completed the transaction on Centrebet, I’d say Sullo will be in the mood for more celebrations," Kilgour says.

Gerry Harvey might not have any headline horses racing during Cup week, but his mare Go Katie Go is shaping up as a good thing. His wife and Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page, after whom the horse is named, would love to go to the Melbourne Cup but the Christmas lead-up is a retailer’s busiest time, and will keep husband and wife shopbound.

“At head office, we always sit around with a cup of tea and a scone to watch the Cup but we have a strict rule of no alcohol on site," Page says. “And once the race is over, it’s back to work."